New N.J. law lets terminally ill patients choose to end their lives

Thursday

Aug 1, 2019 at 2:07 PMAug 1, 2019 at 2:07 PM

New Jersey has become the seventh state to allow terminally ill patients to choose to end their lives via a prescription drug.

The new law, which went into effect Thursday, gives people who have been told they have less than six months to live the ability to legally request the medication from their physician, TV station WTSP reports. A review from a psychiatrist or psychologist is required to ensure the patient is mentally sound.

The prescription pills can be taken at home, meaning the terminally ill don't have to live out their final days in a hospital or hospice, according to CNN.

"Allowing residents with terminal illnesses to make end-of-life choices for themselves is the right thing to do," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a written statement obtained by CNN.

Similar laws are also in place in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Washington, D.C.